The 2023 Mississippi elections took place on November 7, 2023, with the primary on August 8 and any required runoffs on August 29. All executive offices in the state up for election, as well as all 52 seats of the
Mississippi State Senate
The Mississippi State Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the Lower house, lower Mississippi House of Represen ...
, all 122 seats in the
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...
, and many local offices. The qualifying deadline for all 2023 Mississippi races was February 1, 2023.
Special elections also took place during the year.
State House of Representatives
State senate
Governor
Lieutenant governor
One-term Republican incumbent
Delbert Hosemann
Charles Delbert Hosemann Jr. (born June 30, 1947) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 33rd lieutenant governor of Mississippi since 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the secretary of state of Miss ...
was elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 60% of the vote. He ran for re-election.
Republican
state senator
A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
Chris McDaniel
Christopher Brian McDaniel (born June 28, 1971) is an American attorney, talk radio host, perennial candidate for statewide office, and politician who served in the Mississippi State Senate from 2008 to 2024. His politics have been widely descri ...
also announced his candidacy, challenging Hosemann.
Republicans Shane Quick (who ran against Hosemann in 2019) and Tiffany Longino also filed for the race,
as did Democrat D. Ryan Grover, a former candidate for the
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
Board of Aldermen.
Secretary of state
After considering challenging
Tate Reeves
Jonathan Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974) is an American politician serving as the 65th List of governors of Mississippi, governor of Mississippi since 2020. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Reeves served as the ...
in the
2023 Mississippi gubernatorial election
The 2023 Mississippi gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2023, to elect the governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Mississippi Republican Party, Republican governor Tate Reeves won re-election to a second term, defeating Mississippi ...
,
Michael Watson
Michael Watson (born 15 March 1965) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1991. He held the Commonwealth Boxing Council, Commonwealth middleweight title from 1989 to 1991, and challenged three times for a world titl ...
instead decided to run for re-election as
Secretary of State.
Former Mississippi Secretary of State Staffer and
2022 Democratic nominee for
Mississippi's 3rd congressional district
Mississippi's 3rd congressional district (MS-3) covers central portions of state and stretches from the Louisiana border in the west to the Alabama border in the east.
Large cities in the district include Meridian, Mississippi, Meridian, Stark ...
Shuwaski Young announced his bid to unseat Watson.
Republican primary
Candidate
*
Michael Watson
Michael Watson (born 15 March 1965) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1991. He held the Commonwealth Boxing Council, Commonwealth middleweight title from 1989 to 1991, and challenged three times for a world titl ...
, incumbent
secretary of state
Results
Democratic primary
Candidate
*Shuwaski Young, former Mississippi Secretary of State Staffer and
2022 Democratic nominee for
Mississippi's 3rd congressional district
Mississippi's 3rd congressional district (MS-3) covers central portions of state and stretches from the Louisiana border in the west to the Alabama border in the east.
Large cities in the district include Meridian, Mississippi, Meridian, Stark ...
Results
Democratic State Central Committee selection
In August 2023, Shuwaski Young withdrew his candidacy from the race for secretary of state, citing "a hypertensive crisis that was limiting his ability to campaign." On September 7, the Mississippi Democratic Party nominated Ty Pinkins, an attorney and military veteran, as the replacement nominee for the November ballot.
General election
Polling
Michael Watson vs. Shuwaski Young
Results
Attorney general
One-term Republican incumbent
Lynn Fitch
Lynn Fitch (born October 5, 1961) is an American lawyer, politician, and the 40th Mississippi Attorney General. She is the first woman to serve in the role and the first Republican since 1878. Previously, she was the 54th State Treasurer of Mis ...
was elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 57.83% of the vote, becoming the state's first Republican attorney general since 1878.
She ran for re-election.
Democratic attorney and Disability Rights Mississippi Litigation Director Greta Kemp Martin ran to challenge Fitch.
Republican primary
Candidate
*
Lynn Fitch
Lynn Fitch (born October 5, 1961) is an American lawyer, politician, and the 40th Mississippi Attorney General. She is the first woman to serve in the role and the first Republican since 1878. Previously, she was the 54th State Treasurer of Mis ...
, incumbent
attorney general
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
Results
Democratic primary
Candidate
*Greta Kemp Martin, attorney and Disability Rights Mississippi Litigation Director
Results
General election
Endorsements
Polling
Lynn Fitch vs. Greta Martin
Results
State auditor
Incumbent Republican
Shad White
Shadrack Tucker White (born September 22, 1985) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 42nd State Auditor of Mississippi since 2018. A member of the Republican Party, White is the first millennial to hold statewide office in the D ...
was appointed as auditor in 2018, winning his first full term unopposed in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
. White ran for re-election.
The mayor of
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Sa ...
, Democrat Larry Bradford, challenged White in the general election.
Republican primary
Candidate
*
Shad White
Shadrack Tucker White (born September 22, 1985) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 42nd State Auditor of Mississippi since 2018. A member of the Republican Party, White is the first millennial to hold statewide office in the D ...
, incumbent
state auditor
State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, or state examiners, among others) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, program eval ...
Results
Democratic primary
Candidate
*Larry Bradford, Mayor of
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Sa ...
Results
General election
Results
State treasurer
One-term Republican incumbent
David McRae
David McRae is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, McRae has been Mississippi State Treasurer since 2020, having been elected in the 2019 Mississippi elections, 2019 election. Prior to enteri ...
was elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 60.8% of the vote. He ran for re-election,
and was unopposed in the Republican primary.
McRae faced a rematch in the general election, as former member of the
Bolton
Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
Board of Aldermen Addie Lee Green was the only Democrat to announce a run.
Lee Green received 39.2% of the vote in 2019.
Republican primary
Candidate
*
David McRae
David McRae is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, McRae has been Mississippi State Treasurer since 2020, having been elected in the 2019 Mississippi elections, 2019 election. Prior to enteri ...
, incumbent
state treasurer
In the state and territorial governments of the United States, 54 of the 56 states and territories have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the office of New York State Treasurer in 1926, in which the duties were transfer ...
Results
Democratic primary
Candidate
*Addie Lee Green, former member of the
Bolton
Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...
Board of Aldermen
Results
General election
Results
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
Two-term Republican incumbent
Andy Gipson was re-elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 58.7% of the vote. Gipson ran for re-election, and was the only Republican on the ballot.
Republican primary
Candidates
*
Andy Gipson, incumbent
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
* Robert Bradford, director of
Natchez-Adams County Homeland Security Program, Floodplain Management Program, Emergency 9-1-1 Coordinator, and Emergency Management Agency
* Bethany Hill, executive director of the Mississippi Women's Cannabis Chamber of Commerce
* Terry Rogers II, college student
Withdrawn or disqualified
* Robert Briggs
Results
General election
Results
Commissioner of Insurance
Four-term Republican incumbent
Mike Chaney
Michael Jackson Chaney (born January 6, 1944) is the Mississippi Insurance Department, Commissioner of Insurance for the Government of Mississippi, State of Mississippi since 2008. He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1993 ...
was reelected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 61.26% of the vote. Chaney, who also serves as the state's
Fire Marshal
A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a state, provincial or territorial government, but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include ...
, ran for re-election.
Republican Mitch Young, a former U.S.
Navy Petty Officer and candidate for governor in
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, announced a primary challenge against Chaney.
Democratic attorney and 2022 Court of Appeals in District Four candidate Bruce Burton also ran.
Republican primary
Candidates
*
Mike Chaney
Michael Jackson Chaney (born January 6, 1944) is the Mississippi Insurance Department, Commissioner of Insurance for the Government of Mississippi, State of Mississippi since 2008. He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1993 ...
, incumbent commissioner
* Mitch Young, former
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
Petty officer
A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies. Often they may be superior to a seaman, and subordinate to more senior non-commissioned officers, such as chief petty officers.
Petty officers are usually sailors that have ...
and candidate for governor in
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
Results
Democratic primary
Candidates
* Bruce Burton, attorney and candidate for Appeals Court District 4 in 2022
Results
General election
Results
Public Service Commission
Northern District
Four-term Democratic Incumbent
Brandon Presley
Brandon Everitt Presley (born July 21, 1977) is an American politician who served as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission from the Northern District from 2008 to 2024 and mayor of Nettleton, Mississippi, from 2001 to 2007. He ...
was re-elected unopposed in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
. Presley did not run for a fifth term, instead opting to run for governor.
No Democrats filed to run to succeed Presley,
leaving the field open for two Republican challengers to run for the open seat:
*
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
,
Mississippi State Representative for the 20th District
* Tanner Newman,
Tupelo
Tupelo commonly refers to:
* Tupelo (tree), a small genus of deciduous trees with alternate, simple leaves
* Tupelo, Mississippi, the county seat and the largest city of Lee County, Mississippi
Tupelo may also refer to:
Places
* Tupelo, Arka ...
Planning and Zoning Administrator
Mandy Gunasekara, former Chief of Staff for the
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations:
* Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia
* Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana)
* Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)
* Environmenta ...
, was a challenger,
but she was removed from the ballot due to citizenship eligibility issues.
Republican primary
= Candidates
=
*
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
,
Mississippi State Representative
* Tanner Newman,
Tupelo
Tupelo commonly refers to:
* Tupelo (tree), a small genus of deciduous trees with alternate, simple leaves
* Tupelo, Mississippi, the county seat and the largest city of Lee County, Mississippi
Tupelo may also refer to:
Places
* Tupelo, Arka ...
Planning and Zoning Administrator
= Results
=
Results
Central District
One-term Republican incumbent
Brent Bailey
Brent Bailey is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter born in Tucson, Arizona. Bailey has appeared in television series such as ''Criminal Minds'', ''Rizzoli & Isles'', and ''Hart of Dixie''. He also played Alex Knightley in the ...
was elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 50.3% of the vote. He ran for re-election.
Bailey's 2019 Democratic opponent, current
state representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...
De’Keither Stamps, faced him again in a rematch.
Democratic primary
= Candidate
=
*
De’Keither Stamps,
State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...
= Results
=
Republican primary
= Candidate
=
*Brent Bailey, incumbent
Public Service Commissioner
= Results
=
Results
Southern District
One-term Republican Incumbent
Dane Maxwell was elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 62.6% of the vote. Maxwell was challenged in the primary by
Nelson Wayne Carr and lost.
Republican primary
= Candidates
=
*
Nelson Wayne Carr, construction manager, landlord, and Republican Party activist
*
Dane Maxwell, incumbent
Public Service Commissioner
= Results
=
Results
Transportation Commission
Northern District
One-term Republican Incumbent
John Caldwell was elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 63.2% of the vote. He ran for re-election unopposed.
Republican primary
= Candidate
=
*
John Caldwell, incumbent
Transportation Commissioner
= Results
=
Results
Central District
One-term Democratic incumbent
Willie Simmons was elected in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
with 51.1% of the vote. He ran for re-election.
Ricky Pennington Jr., a Republican, also ran for the seat.
[
]
Democratic primary
= Candidate
=
* Willie Simmons, incumbent Transportation Commissioner[
]
= Results
=
Republican primary
= Candidate
=
*Ricky Pennington Jr., candidate for this district in 2019[
]
= Results
=
Results
Southern District
Three-term Republican incumbent Tom King won re-election unopposed in 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
. On November 16, 2022, King announced he would not seek re-election.
Republican state representative for the 111th District Charles Busby[ ran against Independent Steven Brian Griffin.][
]
Republican primary
= Candidate
=
* Charles Busby, State Representative
A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system.
Two federations literally use the term "state legislature":
* The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...
[
]
= Results
=
Results
Notes
References
{{2023 United States elections
2023 elections in the United States by state
2023 Mississippi elections